Oh, Christmas Tree!

I finally got my lazy butt to get the tree up and running this last weekend. And I think it looks quite cute, although its much brighter and prettier in person. I still don't know how to work my camera well enough to get the full effects. I should have read the manual. :(



I made sure to get Haley her own ornament. Even though she is not here in person yet, she is still very much with us this Christmas season. I can't wait to meet her, it almost hurts.



And no tree would be complete without an angel... er, uh, Quagmire from Family Guy(it was the only way I could make my husband happy without ruining the tree completely). Its all about compromise, people...

Long Overdue!

To all my fellow friends who actually read this blog: I am SO SORRY! You probably thought I fell off the face of the earth. Well, almost. But I've been so busy, not to mention without internet this past week due to the transition from duplex to house. Speaking of such, I am officially moved! Hallelujah! Life couldn't be better. I am so pleased with the new place, I almost don't know what I did to deserve it. Here are a couple of upsides to being a homeowner:

~I actually take pride in cleaning. Matter of fact, I go out of my way to do it.
~I no longer have to go down to the basement just to let my dogs out. All I do is walk over by the kitchen and open the door. Beautiful!
~PAINTING. Nothing perks me up more than color, especially ones that make me feel cozy and at ease. I never have to look at a dull, light grey color for the rest of my life if I don't want!
~Cabinet space. My new kitchen is pretty amazing, and where at the duplex I had to improvise on where to put my applicances and dishes, I am actually left with empty cabinets at the house. Now I can actually go to Pier 1 and buy something for my kitchen without worrying where I'm going to store it. Actually, maybe that is a bad thing, for the pocketbook at least...

So, without further ado, here are some photos of the new place:

The proud owners!


Guest Bath

Master Bath

Master Bedroom

Living room (the Christmas tree is yet to be done!)

Kitchen


Hope you like it as much as I do. I am very pleased with how it all turned out. And god bless my husband for being the best guy in the world! He barely made me lift a finger through the whole moving process. I compromised and did most of the unpacking instead.

On to baby stuff. Well, its going. I am a big girl, I'll say that. My belly seems to be taking a life of its own these days. And the pain is catching up with me now. I was getting by pretty well, but now I'm 28 weeks and I have officially entered the third trimester. I must say, I am terrified! I guess its the fear of the unknown. I don't know much about anything, but I do know I'm ready to meet this little girl. She is so energetic, I almost can't believe how much she moves around- I'm almost tempted to ask the doctor if its abnormal! Hey it could be worse, she could not move at all. Then I'd really be freaking out. Maybe this is God's way of blessing me so I was able to finally put all of the worry behind me from the beginning. But man, I could sure use a break sometimes. She really LOVES to move nonstop when I'm at meetings at work and I need to FOCUS. She is already learning how to terrorize me! :)

Here is my belly at 28 weeks:




Tomorrow, I see my doctor for my 28 week checkup. From now on, I'll need to start seeing her on a biweekly basis. UGH. I'll be taking a glucose test to check for gestational diabetes. Hopefully all goes well. If I'm forced to prick my finger on a daily basis, you might as well shoot me now. I am not sure how much I have officially gained yet, I suppose I'll find out tomorrow. My guess is its somewhere between 18-20 pounds. Right on track! I've had to wind down walks with the dogs because apparently my pelvis can't handle it anymore. I took a half hour walk the other day and could barely stand up from my work desk the other day. Maybe my husband is right- I CAN'T do the things I used to do. But a measly 30 minute walk?? Geesh. Oh and not to mention I have to pee every freaking 10 minutes! But I never know until I stand up and the baby falls onto my bladder. Man, pregnancy is so great! When can I do this again, seriously??!!

I promise to post more often on the blog when I can- no more 5 week breaks! I just had so much going on with the house, it was nearly impossible. I should be doing the baby room very soon, so I will definitely post pictures as soon as its done.

Before I know it, this baby is going to be here. WOW.

Where Do I Begin?

There has been so much going on in these past few weeks, or month I might say. Between all the newness of knowing I'm now having a girl, looking for a house, and work being work, I have barely been off my feet these days. So lots to report on!

First things first, Ian and I bought a house finally! YEAH!!!!! I never thought I would get to this point in my life; it always seemed so far away, but with a baby on the way, and fortunate circumstances in my life where I had the funds to do so, as well as it being a buyers market, we knew now was as good a time as any. I found the house while I went on a house hunting spree with my relator when Ian was away in Iowa, and came across a house on the Northeast side that I really liked, but it wasn't really on my radar until I actually got to go inside and see how great it was. It desperately needed cleaning and some small other details, but I saw the potential right away. When Ian finally got to see it with me, he agreed. We made an offer the next day and closed after a few counter offers the following morning. It feels so good to know its mine, that I own something and I can put all the love, work and passion that I want into it. Here is a photo of the front:



I love the kitchen!!



Our close date is November 21st and we can not wait to start painting! Let me know if you are interested in joining the paint party. :)

On to baby stuff. Not much new, but I am growing everyday. I am happy to say I don't suffer from headaches as frequently and I feel pretty good for the most part, but I do have some trouble sleeping. I don't wake up very often to go to the bathroom, which is nice, but I am suffering when it comes to sleeping on my side. They say the best side to sleep on is your left, but my body clearly disagrees. I wake up to the worst ear and hip pain you could possibly imagine. Honestly, my left ear aches so bad and I can't quite figure out why. You would think I was sleeping on a brick. Its so annoying. When I am having these issues in my second trimester, I get more and more scared of reaching the third trimester every day. I'm just not looking forward to what it might bring.

So far, I've gained about 14 lbs now. That worries me a little, but it doesn't really look like I've gained that much. I'm at the halfway point though, and these last months are when the weight gain really adds on, and if I gain over 25-30 lbs, I fear its going to be really hard on me. I don't eat excessively, but sometimes it doesn't seem to matter. The weight just adds on no matter what you do. I still try to walk as much as I can, but with my busy life at this time, I can hardly find the time, and exhaustion is an issue. Here is my belly as of 22 weeks, 3 days(Bouulevard decided he wanted in on the photo):



On a fun note, when I found out I was having a girl, I went out with Christy during lunch to find something fun for the baby and ended up leaving with the coolest diaper bag I've ever seen!

LOVE IT!


It came with some great extras too: a changing pad, a bottle holder, and a zipper bag.




I guess I'm not off to a good start when I go to get something for the baby and end up buying something for myself. But I figure I might as well do that now because once she comes, it's going to be all about her.

Before I go, we went to Christy's for a Halloween party last night. Can you guess who Ian and I went as?

Its a GIRL!

Boy, was I WRONG!

I'm Going Through Changes...

I guess I haven't really realized how my belly has gotten bigger every week, mostly because I live with it so I don't notice all the small changes.


Here are some photos of my weekly progression:

16 weeks



18 weeks


16 week


18 weeks


It's subtle, but I can see the changes! I'm getting closer to my halfway mark, and so far I've gained 9 lbs. I can live with that! But I'm starting to develop some allergies, or cold like symptoms that have made me pretty sedentary. I'll feel much better when I can feel normal again and get some energy back.

This weekend I went to St. Louis and took the plunge and invested in cloth diapers. Everyone thinks I'm crazy, but they have no idea what cloth diapers are actually like. These are not your mother's cloth diapers(cloth and pins)! They are just like disposable diapers, but much more absorbent(they have microfiber inserts), and they last you until your child is potty trained so there is no need for replacement. They cost $18 per diaper though, and you need 24 to make it work. I bought the all-in-one diapers, which you can alter from newborn to toddler with snaps. Here is a photo of the way they look, with diagram, in a color I bought:



It costs a lot up front, but down the line it is going to be an incredible savings(people spend $1000 a year on diapers), on top of being SO much better for the earth. I feel so good knowing I won't be contributing to thousands of diapers being dumped into a landfill. It is a complete personal decision, but one Ian and I felt was best for us. Just trying to do my part, you know??? :)

My 20 week scan is coming up, and I am so excited! We'll get to register in St.Louis right afterward, and that is going to be overwhelming; things will REALLY start to kick in then.

I thought I would share the good news that Bank of America approved us for a home loan! Yippee! It only lasts for 90 days, so we might have to renew it but other than that, its a relief to know we have the first part taken care of. I've been looking mostly in the Columbia area now since we decided $135,000 is probably the max we can go; the homes we want in Ashland tend to be in the 140,000 and above range. We have luckily found tons of homes so far in the area that are perfect for us and are in the 129,000 range. I am very positive we will find our dream home soon!


On the baby front, I am learning he is QUITE the kicker. I think he's going to be a soccer player! He just kicked me again! This should get interesting... :)

Please forgive me!

Okay, I admit it, I have been a complete slacker this past month. I didn't feel there was much to report though. The time from 13 weeks to now, 17 weeks, was really dull, and not very fun to be perfectly honest. Though I am so fortunate to have sidesteped morning sickness and most of your typical first trimester woes, I have been dealing with one symptom that I didn't expect: migraine headaches. I mean, bad. All day, every day. I worried that taking tylenol on a daily basis was going to be bad for the baby, but my doc insisted he'd be just fine. So I've been doing just that, but still feeling pretty guilty that I'm pumping my body full of medicine. I wish there were alternative methods, but so far, there hasn't been much offered my way to help. So I'm getting by, but there are days I wonder if I can take 5 more months of this intense pain. My body is starting to become immune to Tylenol, and thats not a good thing! All I want for Christmas is a freaking massage at this point.

On a much happier note, I can finally feel the baby move! I'm very lucky to feel him so early on in my pregnancy, and good thing because I was about to lose my mind in anticipation! When I'm not getting ultrasounds, my mind starts wandering with unnecessary stress. At least now that I can feel his movement, its reassuring. It actually happened when I was 15 1/2 weeks and I went to Mandy's for some girl time and Mizzou football. We made nachos and those jalapenos must have been spicy because he let me know for about 10 minutes! I knew it wasn't gas(you would think making nachos, right?)- you can't mistake those little flutters! It is really the best feeling I can describe. You tend to forget you have this tiny growing human being in your stomach and out of nowhere, he reminds you and you can't help but smile. At the risk of sounding corny, its so amazing.

My 20 week ultrasound is set for October 9th now, and the gender will be revealed. I love that there are all these little milestones you get to look forward to. Just when you think it couldn't get better, it really does! And the ultimate prize is seeing and holding our baby for the first time. It will be surreal to see the baby at 20 weeks and maybe even get a small inkling of who he looks like more already. All I know: the baby better get Ian's height!

I'll post some photos of the belly soon; its certainly getting bigger and changing everyday! And even though I barely know my body anymore, you better believe its all worth it!

Okay...This is Ridiculous

I'm not so sure what has happened to me in the past few days, but ever since spilling the beans to the office, the baby must have decided that it was time to spread out and live a little. Geez, the baby is only 13 weeks- it's only the size of a peach, its not like its big enough to make ME bigger yet. But my uterus is overcompensating to give him space! I am a BALLOON! I'm just taken by surprise...and my belly is aching like hell! I guess I signed up for this, right? Just thought I would have a few more weeks before I got this big (and maybe its all in my head). Hopefully Ian finds it sexy, ha!

I'm So in LOVE!

As most of you know by now, my 12 wk ultrasound appointment went much better than I could have expected. This was the NT scan that I have been anxiously waiting for to make sure I wouldn't have a repeat disaster like last time. Well, it was nothing like it whatsoever. The measured thickness on his neck was 1.5 (those numbers ring preciously in my head), which is completely NORMAL and indicates no problems. The doctor was very pleased. The sonographer also said he is developing perfectly. Thats all I wanted to hear. The heartbeat was a wonderful 158 bpm. I know I have another big milestone to pass, the 20 wk mark. I can breathe a lot easier getting past this appointment, but getting past 20 weeks, finding out the sex and knowing all is well- that will be even more sweeter. It think by then I will really start kicking up my heels and feeling good!

Meanwhile, I have some ideas for a baby room already. I'm thinking khaki walls and a classic black and white look to the room. Apparently these colors are really good for new babies, which is funny since most wouldn't really classify them as "colors." My mom introduced me to this idea when she talked about some black curtains she spotted and at first I wasn't sure, but now I am completely on board! Mother knows best, righ? I can totally envision all of it in my head, which is a good thing. I am just not one of your typical blue/pink people.

The Incredible Growing/Shrinking Bump

The Day/Night belly pics, as promised:

Day:



Night:



The difference drives me crazy, because I can't tell if I am growing or if I just eat waaaay to much. But dinner is my lightest meal, so its absurd. Either way, I know for certain that I'm not going to be getting any smaller from here on out. I am seeing more of a bump in the morning, which you can sorta see in the picture. I'm getting excited to say the least!

Do I Bore You?

So, its getting down to the wire. My NT scan is one week from this Monday. This week just might be the longest week I've ever had in my entire life.

I'm 11 weeks 3 days, and so far, still no belly. I do have what I like to call day/night belly. In the morning I look like your average person, but after I get home from work and I've had some dinner, I look like I could pass for 5 months pregnant. I should really take some pictures to prove this. I do feel guilty not having any fun pictures to show yet, but I promise those will come soon.

I am curious- is anyone even reading this blog? Besides the usual 2-3 people that I know of, I feel like my posts might be falling on deaf ears. Though its been fun having this outlet to vent my emotions and stress, I'm not sure I want to continue if no one reads it!

I guess a weeks time will predict whether I continue...

For those who do read, I'm glad I continue to amuse you so you keep coming back! :)

I'll Have Seconds, Please!

I just turned 10 weeks last Thursday, going on 11 this week. Things are progressing well. I have somehow managed to sidestep morning sickness altogether, but the fatigue and moodiness remain, and rampantly! I did have a scare last week with a little spotting, but it turned out to be nothing. But without really knowing at that point in time, I had myself in quite a tizzy. I couldn't imagine getting this far for nothing (again), yet realize many women go through miscarriages all the time and it breaks my heart. I already lost one child myself; to lose another might be more than I could handle. I'm praying so hard that this pregnancy makes it all the way, but there is just no way to tell. If I learned anything from my past experience, its that your life can change in an instant. I am trying to enjoy this pregnancy and this little baby growing inside me everyday, but on the flip side, I find it very hard to connect when I don't know if he/she is healthy. Its such a burden, but I have to live with it. I don't have the luxury of "ignorant bliss" that other pregnant woman have.

Meanwhile, I can't stop eating. Its completely ridiculous. If I wake up at any time dring the night, I have to eat. My hunger becomes so ferocious that it hurts. And with that obviously, comes weight gain. Though I've only gained about 3 lbs at this point, it looks like 10 to me. And I think, "where the HELL am I going to put the other 25 lbs???" Seriously, I am 5'1" people!! I don't have room left in this body of mine. I am going to come down to the wire, walking into the labor room looking like a freaking oompa loompa. I don't take this lightly. I know its temporary and I will lose about 20 of those a month after birth, but that doesn't do much for me when I'm feeling like a brick house NOW. Nobody said it was easy though I guess. However, if I wasn't craving cinammon rolls and donuts on a regular basis, maybe it wouldn't be as bad. Seriously, who craves broccoli?

For now, I am still counting the days until my NT scan. You would think I wouldn't be looking forward to it, and I'm really not, but I'm ready to start loving this baby full force and looking ahead to all the great things to come.

Well, Hello There...

Today was my first prenatal appointment with my new doctor, Katie Welch. I was referred to her by my friend Melanie, who is also pregnant, and I'm very lucky that I was able to hook up with her because she works with Women's Health Associates at Boone and I only hear good things about them. Shortly after meeting, she knew all about my past experience with Fiona, and all of my fears about this pregnancy. She wants me to get the NT scan at 12 weeks, which checks for chromosomal abnormalities, and if the odds look really good, there is no reason for me to get a CVS and continue the worry. That appointment is still a month away, so hopefully I can get it out of my head until that time comes. But it tends to be all consuming at times and there is nothing I can do to not worry. The good news is I got an early ultrasound today to check for multiples babies and the gestation age. Well, me and my mom's epiphany about twins was wrong; I'm only having one baby. But the age of the gestation was spot on- 8 wks, 5 days. And all looked great! Heartbeat was 175 bpm (normal) and he was developing as he should (notice how I'm saying he- I'm still convinced). All I can pray for is for the good news to continue and have a healthy baby in my arms when all is said and done.

Could I BE More Tired?

I haven't posted anything in a while as I've been out of Columbia at a conference in Pittsburgh since Tuesday. Its been a long week to say the least. Someone PLEASE remind me never to agree to a conference while I'm pregnant AGAIN! This is the second conference I've attended while pregnant, and each time I was surrounded by young, talented professionals who not only work hard, but play hard. The drinking that takes place at these conferences is almost astounding, but only more so to me because I am reminded everyday that I no longer CAN! On top of that, they all went to an amusement park yesterday which has some of the best roller coasters around. DO you know how much I love roller coasters??? I had to tell my boss I "don't do rides" so I could get out of it without completely spilling the beans as to the real reason. I was not ready to divulge that information yet. I need to make it to at least 12 weeks before I let anyone outside of my social comfort zone know about me.

I turned 8 weeks on Thursday. Apparently my babies eyelids are almost over the eyes and he is starting to develop fingers and toes instead of "buds." His tail has almost turned into a butt now. :) I can't wait to see him, as my long awaited appointment is this upcoming Tuesday. I will get an ultrasound, though I'm not sure how much they can tell at this point. I will get some blood tests done though, and all that other good stuff woman go through at the first prenatal checkup. My hope is to come back within two more weeks if I'll be ordered to get the NT screening again (the test that discovered Fiona's Turners).

By the way, I am more than fairly convinced I am having a boy. I have waited and waited for the morning sickness to rear its ugly head, only to feel pretty great every morning. I can get used to this! This is completely opposite of my experience last time carrying a girl, and my mom made a point that she was sick with only me and my sister, but not my brother. Sounds about right. Headaches and fatigue though, completely different story! I was barely able to keep myself awake for my morning sessions this week, which was a miserable experience. Every second I got, I was running up to my hotel room, if only for a 20 minute nap, whatever I could do to survive another hour. I met a few other pregnant women on my trip too, which was nice to relate.

Speaking of headaches, I have one so bad right now that typing is the last thing I should be doing. I will most certainly post photos after my ultrasound on Tuesday! I could use any words of encouragement at this point, as I am still very apprehensive and scared, but so excited to see my baby!

Is it a Sign??

So, I already wrote a post today but I felt quite compelled to post after speaking with my mother an hour ago. We spoke yesterday for a while so I wondered what she needed to speak about today that we hadn't covered previously. She said "Well, I had a dream last night." I immediately thought back to the dream I had last night at that moment.

I dreamt I was having twins.

Before I said anything to her about it, she went on to tell me that she dreamt I was having two babies! But in her dream, I somehow managed to get pregnant "twice." I was having one baby in 7 months, and the next two months later. She said it wasn't twins though.

In my dream, I could feel both of the babies heads in my stomach (bizarre, I know). I told my mother I was having twins, but she didn't believe me! I had to take her hand and put them on both of the babies heads to convince her.

These dreams were likely happening around the same time. I am just SHOCKED. It doesn't automatically mean I am having twins, but good lord, the thought is certainly crossing my mind now!

I need to go to bed, this is just too weird!

Home Sweet Home

Ian and I arrived back from vacation yesterday and it feels great to be back home. Allowing myself the time to get away from work and spend time with Ian's family was wonderful. The mountains and the air were perfect. However, I find that being away makes me miss what I have in Columbia that much more, so what I take away from this is that my life is pretty great and I'm ready to get back into the swing of things. I can't thank my in-laws enough for the time away. We all had a great time. Some highlights:

~Ian and I stopped in Colby, Kansas to stay the night Friday before finishing our drive the next morning. I thought I would share the sign that Ian witnessed in the lobby

If you don't know whats so funny, than nevermind!

-I climbed the second most difficult mountain at Rocky Mountain National Park- 6 weeks pregnant! Honestly, I didn't really know what I was getting into at the time, but I had taken a 4 mile hike two days ago and it was pretty easy, so I thought a 9 mile hike wouldn't be so bad, right?? Well, the words "Flat Top MOUNTAIN" didn't really resonate. I realized soon after the whole 4.4 miles there were UPHILL! It took us 2 1/2 hours to get there, but I made it (I went with Andrew's girlfriend Lauren and Ryan). It was such a proud moment for me, at the risk of sounding corny. I knew in that moment if I could do that, I could do anything and I have what it takes to give this baby the best life he/she can ever imagine. Here are some photos, proof of my escapade:

My first checkpoint on the trail


On Flat Top- the scenery was amazing!


With Lauren and Ryan at Flat Top


~I took a ghost tour at one of the most notoriously haunted hotels in the US, the Stanley Hotel


The tour wasn't as scary as I had hoped, but I may have caught a small ghost(or dust) in one of my photos. You be the judge! (on the right by the door)

Either way, it was a good time and there is a lot of history to that place, so it was neat to say I had been there. We even went into the room that Stephen King stayed in where he began to write The Shining... RM 217.



That wraps up the vacay!

I found out great news for my friend Mandy- she gets induced on Wednesday! Congratulations to her! I can't even imagine whats going through her mind right now. Not only does it make the situation so much more real that I'll get to meet her little boy this week, but it made my pregnancy much more real to me as well. In the next 8 months, I will be in this same situation and I cannot wait. I am still struggling here and there with the baby's health and "what ifs" but I pray for God to just take thos worries away from me and spare me the hurt. Its not good for me or the baby.

As a side note, I turned 6 weeks on vacation and I am happy to note I experienced no pregnancy symptoms while away. They will either creep up in these next few months or I just might be one of the lucky ones. I don't want to speak too soon. I did start to feel nauseous around 7 weeks last time, so we'll see! I have a busy month ahead of me so I'll hope for the best!

Lightening My Load

Today I’ll be leaving on a weeklong vacation to Estes Park, CO. Ian’s family visits Estes Park every summer and rents little cabins in the mountains. The weather is beautiful and the area is incredible scenic. Ian and I visited them there while we still lived at Fort Carson, right before Ian was ordered to duty in Iraq back in 2004. Last time was bittersweet; this time it’s all about relaxation and fun.

This vacation couldn’t have come at a better time. Work has really picked up as I’ve got two projects back to back that have taken up lots of my time. Once you find out you are expecting, it makes it hard to focus. And when my work doesn’t know why I’m lagging behind, or why I constantly complain because I’m tired, it makes it that much harder. Sometimes I am expected to help out and lift heavy things and at that moment I just want to breakdown and tell them, because this secrecy thing is no fun.

I had a nice lunch with my friends Mandy and Melanie yesterday, both pregnant in their own different trimesters. Mandy is due any day now; Melanie is 21 weeks- and they both look fabulous! I’ll need their secrets in the coming months. Melanie was sweet enough to think of me and buy me a book called Traveling Light by Max Lucado. I read a little bit yesterday and liked the message that it sent. It told me to “lighten my load.” Basically, I cannot control what may or may not happen with the health of this baby. I cannot continue to burden myself with constant worry; that is in God’s hands. I made a concerted decision to enjoy this pregnancy and I plan to do just that. Thank you for the book Mel! It was just what I needed.

On another note, I do feel pretty miserable today. Literally since day one of knowing I was pregnant, I cannot sleep anymore. Every night, I am somehow disturbed by Ian cuddling me to the edge of the bed, Joey sleeping between my legs, hunger, you name it…and I cannot go back to sleep. Last night I woke up at 2:45 and did not go back to sleep until around 4:45. I had to eventually move into the guest bedroom. After that, my hunger pains grew to monumental proportions; I had to eat something. I cannot win! Have any of you women who have been pregnant or are pregnant experienced this? I know its pretty common into the 2nd-3rd trimesters, mostly because of bladder issues and kicking babies, but I am only 5 weeks and this is ridiculous! I know it’s okay to take a half pill of Unisom on occasion, but the last thing I want to do is depend on something. Any suggestions?

Round Two! Pregnant Again

Hi everyone! Welcome to my new blog. Through some forceful coercion from my friend Mandy, I have decided to document this pregnancy through the eyes of the internet. Though I find my life extremely boring, there is nothing boring about a pregnancy! Anything can happen, as Ian and I know all too well after the loss of Fiona, our "first" child, to Turners Syndrome back in March. I contemplated how long I really wanted to wait after something so devestating. We thought it would be wise to wait maybe 6 months, even longer since we now had an open window to purchase a house with money we saved for the new baby. But God works in mysterious ways, and without really trying, I became pregnant 3 short months after. I guess they are right when they say it happens when you least expect it! Now I am dealing with mixed emotions. I am over the moon with happiness, yet frequently sidelined by these feelings that I may once again, get bad news. Turners Syndrome is not genetic so there is no reason to believe it will happen again, but I wish I was so easily convinced. I can only go into this pregnancy with positive and loving thoughts for this new baby who has come into my life. I am so excited to meet him/her and know that things are going to be great these next 8 months! The best part is knowing I have the support of my great friends, and amazing family and in-laws. I hope you enjoy this blog as much as I will enjoy writing it.

My first prenatal appointment will be on July 22nd. I'll be 8 weeks 5 days and will receive my first ultrasound. It will be a nervewracking event, but I'm looking forward to it more than anything. The nurses felt no reason to see me earlier because of my past, but encouraged me to call should I have any questions or need anything at all.

So far I am only 5 weeks and feeling pretty good. Fatigue is kicking in a bit, but I'm getting by for the most part. Hunger is a real issue though! How does something the size of a poppy seed make me feel like I could eat a horse?

Much more soon!
Abby (and Ian)